Me again, seeking BROWN 60HP fan belt (or paint)

[Lawson Cox]

I'm trying to locate an original BROWN fan belt for the 60HP project engine. I will settle for enough of Roy Nacewicz's brown paint to paint one belt. Thanks. More pictures soon, on Facebook. and some kind soul can transfer them to the barn for me. LOL Maybe next week. X fingers.

[Kube]

Lawson,
There is no proof that I am aware of that tells us definitely the belts were brown. Me? Black...
I'll look tonight for a NOS belt I had. Not certain if I still do.

[Lawson Cox]

Originally Posted by Kube

Lawson,
There is no proof that I am aware of that tells us definitely the belts were brown. Me? Black...
I'll look tonight for a NOS belt I had. Not certain if I still do.

Kube: I am going primarily on the factory photo of Henry and Edsel standing beside the newly introduced 60HP engine. Belts on 60 & 85 are definitely brown there. That was 1937. I remember quite a few brown belts on cars and for sale at the service station when I was in High school. I'm not saying ALL were brown, but it is certainly "period".

[cas3]

Sort of the color of red primer is what I remember hanging in all the old garages. I know, I am picking nits again

[DavidG]

Mike, With respect, I'm not sure when Ford branched out and started using other than Firestone fan belts, but there is more than circumstantial evidence that at least through the '36s in the U.S. that the Firestone Ford script belts were indeed a medium brown (the entire exterior). Even in '37, the multi-layer, multi-colored belts with molded-in part numbers and script had their outer layer in the same medium brown (fourth photo below).

As Lawson points out, Roy (RIP) used to offer a flex paint to convert black belts into brown ones. I've been lucky over the years and the ones in the photos below are all NOS. They have the stylized Firestone 'F; Ford script, and the part number molded into the inner and out edges. I would not recommend them for a driver as they have shrunk over the years and likely would have short in-use lives.

There are lots of '32-'36 U.S. archives assembly line photos in black and white where the belts come across as lighter than they should if they were black and miraculously one surviving '32 photo of a display chassis with a belt that could never be mistaken for anything but brown. The last photo below is not of a restored chassis, but rather one pulled off the Chicago Assembly Plant line back in 1932.

That is not to say that all fan belts used by Ford during that period were sourced to Firestone or that they were all brown, but rather there is little doubt that at least some were brown.

[Kube]

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Lawson, I will defer to Mr. Rehor (DavidG). The man has most likely forgotten more than I will ever know.

[Lawson Cox]

Thanks Dave. Awesome pictures.

[35fordtn]

David I am sure you have a copy of the French photo of the display chassis in 1932 that is in color and is clearly brown.

As for Lawson’s question at my shop where the cars are I have three factory photos both of 85hp pickup chassis. One a 1937 that definitely has a multi layer brown belt and one of a 1939 that appears to be black and lastly one of a prototype 1935 (unique photo) that appeared to be brown.

Those photos suggested to me that somewhere in 1938 or 39 the changeover happened.. who knows…. I have owned a few 85 Hp nos 78 prefix brown belts so they did exist to some extent. I believe in 1937 they all went to a multi layer belt rather than a wrapped belt like the 32-36’s

[DavidG]

Michael,

Ask and you shall receive.

[deuce lover]

David beat me to it. Its a publication I once owned here in France.Here is a '33 French brochure I still have and the fan belt is clearly not black.

[Terry,OH]

I agree with Michael somewhere around 37-38 all the belts went black.
Michael I have both styles of belts for the 1940 wrapped and layered. Factory letters from this time indicate both styles existed.
Interesting it was about 39-40 the distributor coils and caps went red/brown.

[Kube]

In 1939 and 1940, belts were purchased from Dayton and gates. Those were black.

While it is altogether possible I'd missed Firestone as a supplier during my research, well, I don't believe I did...

I can only offer a theory as to why belts, caps and coils went to brown in this time period. The theory? Carbon Black was diverted to war materials.

[Planojc]

Lawson's project has become a great learning experience for me, so thanks to all for the history lesson.

[Lawson Cox]

Originally Posted by Planojc

Lawson's project has become a great learning experience for me, so thanks to all for the history lesson.

Same for me, Planojc.

[35fordtn]

Lawson,
If you ever find me a fuel line Ill copy it in Copper plated steel. Just need the sample part

[Lawson Cox]

Originally Posted by 35fordtn

Lawson,
If you ever find me a fuel line Ill copy it in Copper plated steel. Just need the sample part

Thanks Michael. I'm going "full speed" (for me) on the engine now, thanks again for the bolts, etc.